Our First Drop
For this first drop, we only had straws, paper, and tape as our materials. Each material had a fixed "Price", the paper cost $40, one straw cost $10, and one foot of tape cost $20. In addition to that, we had a total budget of $200 . These were the materials we ended up with
- 2 feet of tape for $40
- 2 sheets of paper for $80
- 8 straws for $80
While the egg and its container fell, we collected a lot of data. As you already know, when the egg was falling, the forces acting on it were gravity (downward) and air resistance (upward). Additionally, when the container hit the ground from two stories, the forces upon the egg at that point were compression and tension. We thought that design would be successful because the cone shape would absorb all of the force, giving the egg a safe landing. The egg took 1.4 seconds to fall 6 meters. The container fell at and average speed of 4.3 m/s and accelerated at an average speed of 3.1 m/s2
Sadly, our egg ended up breaking on the pavement Data Distance Time 0 0 6 m 1.4 s Egg Break? Y or N The egg broke (Y) Speed: v =? Formula Substitution d =6m V=d/t V=6m/1.4 t =1.4s Answer with units V=4.285m/s The average Speed was 4 meters a second. Acceleration: a =? Formula Substitution vi =0m/s A=vi-vf/t A=0-4.285m/s/1.4s vf =4.285m/s t =1.4s Answer with Units A=3.1m/s2 The acceleration was 3.1 meters per second squared. Egg Drop Displacement: The displacement of the egg drop container was not measurable because the rain washed target away. We believe that the main reason why our design was unsuccessful was because the cone was not reinforced enough. Our original design included a thick and eventually useless layer of straws surrounded by one sheet of paper. In Phase two, think we should add a second or third layer of paper and maybe a parachute to decelerate it even more. These changes will be effective because it would absorb the force better and result in a more survivable egg drop. |